Incendiary dart.



S. WILEY.

INCENDIARY DART.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1915.

Paented May 2, 1916.

1 fig, 2

'1 steel, and a INCENDIABY DART.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, i llfi.

Application filed July 31, 1915. Serial No. 43,003.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dongan Hill's, Staten Island, in the county of ll-ichmondand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inincendiary Darts, of which the following is a. specification.

My present invention pertains to ammunition, and contemplates theprovision of an incendiary dart, designed to be dropped from anaeroplane or other airship, and concompanying and forming part of thisspecification, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my novel dart. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailvertical section of a portion of the dart, illustrating the interiorappurtenances thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in a planeindicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe views of the drawings. I

The present and preferred embodiment of my invention is so constructedthat the dart is susceptible of being'expeditiously manufactured andreadily charged with a highly inflammable substance and the contactmeans for firing said substance. Said embodiment comprises a tubularbody 1, preferably of steel, a conical head 2, also by preference oftail 3 that is preferably, though of aluminum, this for the The tubularbody 1 is interior-1y threaded at its rear end to receive thecorrespondingly threaded plug portion l of the tail 3, which plugportion l serves to effectually close the rear end of the body 1 afterthe highly inflammable or combustible substance 5 is placed in saidbody. Manifestly the said highly inflammable or combustible substancemay be of any character not necessarily, sake of lightness.

compatible with the'purpose of my invenas to assure die build,-

ti on such, for instance, as a compound of nitrate or baryta andluminum, without involving departure .from the scope of the same asclaimed.

I Atits lower or forward end the body 1 is interiorly threaded toreceive the threaded and reduced portion 6 of the head 2, and at aslight distance above its last-mentioned thread the tubular body isprovided with one or a plurality, preferably four, vent apertures T fortheemission of flames or streams of burning material, while in about thesame plane as said apertures the tubular body is provided with interiorspaced lugs 8. These lugs 8 serve to support the foraminous diaphragm 9which is of a metal, zinc or lead for instance, or othersuitablematerial that is readily fusible or adapted to melt. The said diaphragm9 is placed in the tubular body 1 precedent to the charging of thebodywith the inflammable substance 5, and the making of said diaphragm of amaterial that is adapted to readily melt is highly advanta eous for thereason that after the disinb tegration of the diaphragm one or morecopious streams of fire or burning material are emitted through thetures of the body.

vent aperture or aper- Manifestly the tail 3 which is designed topromote the direct de scent of the dart may be provided with four (moreor less) vanes in the discretion of the manufacturer.

The head 2 is chambered as indicated by 10, and is provided at the lowerend of the chamber with a firing pin 11. Arranged in the head chamber 10and superimposed on a cushioning spring 11 is a plunger 12 which carriesa percussion cap 13 atits lower end and has a vertical passage 14,designed to be filledwith gun powder 15. At its upper end said passage14 terminates in a seat 16 in which is arranged a wad or disk 17 ofmetal, paper or other suitable material. When deemed expedient the head2 may be provided with a transverse aperture 18 for the reception of asafety wire or pin 19 designed'to keep the plunger away from the firingpin during transportation or handling of the dart; the said wire or pinbeing, of course removed before the dart is dropped for action. Asclearly illustrated the exterior diameter of the tubular body 1 issmaller than the largest diameter of the head 2 for an important purposehereinafter set forth.

It will be gathered from the. foregoing menace when the dart constructedand charged as described is dropped on a building, the contact will tirethe percussion cap and train of powder, and the blast from the latter'Wlll displace the Wad and ignite the inflammable or combustiblesubstance. in body 11. Then the dart penetrates the building the ignitesubstan: e 5 will melt the diaphragm 9 and hence passage of the dartwill be attended bythe emission of copious streams of burning substanceor. homes from the apertures T.

It will here be noted that because of the head being; larger in diameterthan the body 1, an annular space Will be left around the body 1 by thehead. Said annular space will permit he pzissage of flames and willpromote the firing of the building, both during the passage of the dartand attcrthc (hurt comes to rest in the building.

At the time of contact when the plunger 12 is impelled downward againstthe action oi the spring to carry the percussion cap into engagementwith the firing pin, it will be observed that the apertures T and theair space between the head and the for-ominous diag ihrugm will assurethe supply of an ample quantity or" ai to support coi'nbustion.

Any suitable ncome may be employed to lire the charge ofcombustiblematerial in the dart, and I therefore do not desire to heunderstood as confining myself to the specific firing means herein shownand described.

Havil claim and cut, is: y

l. A device for the purpose described, comprising a tubular body havingan aperture and interior supporting means, a. foruminous diaphragm offusible material er-v dcscribed my invention what I desire to ranged inthe body above the aperture and. on said supporting" means and adaptedto support lniizumnn-ble material, vane-carrying hence secure byLettersPat- A means closing the rear end of the body, 2L

interior in a foraminous din ihramn, oil

fusible material, arranged in the body and on said lugs and above therefit aperture and adapted to support inflammable or com bustiblesubstance, vanes integral with u threaded plug portion that closes theupper end of the body, a pointed head larger in diameter than the bodyand having :1. threaded portion that closes the lower end of the body,and means in said head for firing the inllanm'nibic or combustiblematerial on con tact with an object.

3. An incendiar dart, comprising a.v body adapted to contain inflammableor combustible substance and having a vent aperture, and a pointed headat the forward endv of said body; the rear portion of said head beinglarger transversely than the body and being arranged in front of saidaperture.

4:. An, incendisry dart, comprising a heeded body adapted to containinfluun'nzv his or combustible substance and having a vent aperture andalso having; on interior foraminous dinphrzignn of readily fusiblematerial, adopted to support the inlinmnmble or combustible substance.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 'my hand in presence of twosuliiscribing witmesses,

SAll/lUEL Nli-LEY. li itnesses JOSEPH G. MURRAY, JOHN 'lnunru, Jr.

